Pneumatically-operated musical instrument



A. P. GUSTAFSON. PNEUMQTICALLY OPERATED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

. APPLlCATION men JUNE 26. 1920.

1,428,501. PatentedSept. '5', 1922 I Imnn imizzrx Patented Sept. 5, 1922.

UNITED STATES 1,428,501 PATENT OFFICE.

ADOLPH. P. GUSTAFSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO M. SCHULZ COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, -A' CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

PNEUMATICALLY-QPERATED MUsIoAL INSTRUMENT.

Application filed .Tune 26,

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ADoLrH P. GUSTAF- SON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Pneumatically-Operated Musical Instruments, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to pneumatically operated musical instruments, particularly such instruments as areusu'ally known: as player pianos. I i

The invention has to do more particularly withthe piano hammer rail and with an instrument in which the hammer rail is transversely divided into separate parts, which may be operated independently to vary the strength of tones or sounds from the diiferent sections of the scale.

The object of the invention is to permit the hammer rail to be operated either as awhole or as independent parts or sections.

I A further object of the invention is to arrange for theautomatic control of the hammer rail sections, so that said rail may be arranged automatically for use either as a whole or in parts.

In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a piano hammer rail embodying my present invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross section of the same taken on line 22 in Fig. 1, also showing a piano hammer and part of piano case.

Referring to the drawings I show a hammer rail A which is understood to be a hammer rail of any suitable or preferred construction, located in the rear of the hammers 1 and mounted for movement toward and away from the strings 2.

The hammer rail A is formed of a plurality of parts, in this case the same being shown composed of two parts a and a, whereof the part a is understood to control the base and the part a to control the treble.

i The instrument is understood to be provided with means by which these separate parts a and a may be independently operated to move either one or both toward and away from the strings 2, so as to vary the length of stroke of the hammers 1, such means not being shown asthey are well known in this 1920. Serial No. 391,898.

art and form no part of the present invenextendingrecess or groove. 9 formed in the hammer rail section a, and also in 'a supplemental recess or groove 10 formed in the rail section a. The pin 8 is held in position by cross members 9a-9a, secured-to the under side of the rail section a. The movement of the rod or pin 8 connects-or locks the two sections a-a together and also unlocks the same, so that when locked together these two rail sections will be to allintents and purposes connected or locked together to form awsingle hammer rail applying to the entire 80 scale of the piano and when unlocked said rail sections will be separated or disconnected so that either one or the other may be independently moved to control a part or seetionof the piano scale, as for example, in this case the treble and the base. 1

As an arrangement for connecting the pin or bar 8 to the swinging leaf Got the pneu- -matic 4:, I show said rod or bar 8 provided at its end near saidpneumatictwith a bent portion 11, which is adapted to fit in a block 12 secured to said swinging leaf 6. As an arrangement for controlling the pneumatic 4 pneumatically I show a flexible tube or pipe 13 connected by a needle 14 to the fixed memher 5 so that the variations inpneumatic pressure in the tube 13 will cause the expansion and collapse of the pneumatic 4. The pipe 13 could be connected in various ways but as a preferred arrangement I connect it with some windway or duct in the pneumatic action which is in direct communication with the bellows of the instrument, so that as soon as the bellows is operated and pressure applied, the pneumatic 4 will be instantly and automatically collapsed, thereby unlocking the parts a-a and permitting the same to be controlled or operated independently.

As soon as the operation of the bellows or instrument is discontinued, pneumatic pressure will be withdrawn from the pneumatic at and said pneumatic will automatically expand, thereby sliding the pin or bar 8 along the grooves 9 and 10 and locking said sections aa' again together. Thus when the instrument is at rest or is used as an ordinary piano, played manually, the parts of the hammer rail are locked together so that the rail acts as a whole, but when pneumatic pressure is applied to the instrument for pneumatic operation, the parts of the railare automatically unlocked, so as to permit their independent control.

It will be understood that changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim is:

l. The combination with a trai'isversely divided hammer rail, of means for connect ing the adjacent ends oi the separate sections together.

2. The combination ot a hammer rail formed of separate parts or sections and means whereby said parts or sections may be directly loclced or connected together and unlocked or disconnected.

8. The combination with a transversely divided hammer rest rail, of means for directly connecting or locking the separate sections together and means for automatically controlling said locking means.

4;. The combination with a transversely divided hammer rest rail, of means for directly connecting or locking the separate sections together and means on one of the sections for pneumatically controlling said locking means.

5. The combination with a transversely divided hammer rail, of means for locking the sections of the same together, comprising a pneumatic mounted on one of said sections and a locking device for locking the two sections together connected with and operated by said pneumatic.

(3. The combination with a transversely divided hammer rail, of means for locking the sections 01 the same together, comprising a pneumatic mounted on one of said sections and a locking pin for locking the two sections together connected with and operated by said pneumatic.

i. The combination of a hammer rest ra1l formed 01 a plurality of sections, and means for locking said sections together comprising a power pneumatic mounted on one of the sections and a locking pin connected with said pneumatic and arranged to slide in grooves formed in said section and the adjacent end of the adjacent section.

8. The combination with a transversely divided hammer rest rail, of means for locking the sections together comprising a pneumatic mounted on one of said sections and a locking device controlliitig and operated by said pneumatic, said pneumatic having a pneumatic connection for automatically supplying pneumatic pressure to the pneumatic when such pressure is applied to the instrument for operating the same.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 1st day of June A. D., 1920.

ADOLPH P. GUSTAFSON. 

